Directions  for  Preparing 
Scientific  Specimens 

OF 

Large  and  Small  Mammals,  Birds, 
Birds’  Stomachs  for  Economic  Investigations, 
Birds’  Nests  and  Eggs, 

Fish  and  Reptiles 

BY 

STANLEY  G.  JEWETT 


( Published  under  the  direction  of  the 
OREGON  FISH  AND  GAME  COMMISSION 
William  L.  Finley.,  State  Game  Warden. 
Bulletin  No.  1. 

Issued  January  15,  1914. 


V 1 


3* 

• 


m 


Salem,  Oregon  : 

State  Printing  Department 
1914 


HE  OREGON  FISH  AND  GAME  COMMISSION 
is  making  a collection  of  the  skins  of  wild  birds 
and  animals  that  inhabit  this  State.  The  object 
of  this  collection  is  to  gather  the  data  that  is 
necessary  for  proper  identification  and  distribu- 
tion of  each  species.  In  order  to  obtain  the 
economic  status  of  both  song  birds  and  game  birds,  an  effort 
is  being  made  to  collect  the  stomachs  of  different  birds  that 
are  killed,  especially  those  of  pheasants,  grouse,  quail  and 
other  game  birds.  An  accurate  examination  of  the  stomach 
contents  gives  the  truest  indication  of  whether  such  birds  are 
of  economic  value  or  harm  about  the  farm.  The  Commission 
seeks  the  active  co-operation  of  sportsmen  and  all  others. 

Before  killing  any  of  the  birds  or  animals  protected  by 
the  laws  of  the  State  of  Oregon,  the  student  should  secure  a 
certificate  to  collect  for  scientific  purposes  in  accordance  with 
the  provisions  of  Section  48,  Page  46,  of  the  Oregon  Fish 
and  Game  Laws.  (Chapter  232,  Session  Laws  1913.) 

Figures  1-2-3-4-5-6-8-15  are  copies  of  illustrations  from 
the  Biological  Survey  of  the  United  States  Department  of 
_ Agriculture.  Figures  7-9-10-11-12-13-14  are  original  draw- 
ings by  0.  J.  Murie. 

William  L.  Finley, 

State  Game  Warden. 


Directions  for  Preparing  Specimens  of 
Large  Animals  in  the  Field 

j|j****jgPECIMENS  of  large  animals,  including  everything 
from  a mink  to  an  elk,  can  be  roughly  prepared  in 
the  field,  and  afterwards  put  in  perfect  condition 
by  a taxidermist.  This  rough  work  is  not  difficult 
and  needs  no  experience.  Any  animal  can  be 
skinned  with  a large  pocket  knife.  A “speci- 
men” is  understood  to  mean  the  complete  skin  of 
any  animal  and  its  skull.  When  a skin  is  saved,  the  skull  of 
the  same  animal  should  always  be  saved,  even  if  it  should  be 
imperfect.  Skulls  of  all  animals,  even  unaccompanied  by  skins, 
are  of  much  value  in  classification. 

The  preparation  of  a specimen  in  the  field  consists  of 
measuring;  making  the  opening  cuts;  removing  the  skin; 
applying  the  preservative;  drying  the  skin;  preparing  the 
skull ; labeling  the  skin  and  skull. 

MEASURING 

Three  measurements  should  be  taken  (if  possible,  while 
the  carcass  is  still  warm) . 

(1)  Total  length  from  tip  of  nose  to  end  of  tail  vertebrae 
(to  end  of  bone  and  not  end  of  hairs) . In  taking  this  meas- 
urement extend  the  body,  neck,  and  tail  as  nearly  in  a straight 
line  as  possible.  The  smaller  animals  should  be  measured  on 
a table  or  board,  the  larger  ones  on  flat,  level  ground  (Fig.  1) . 
In  the  latter  case  drive  a peg  at  the  end  of  the  nose  and  another 
at  the  end  of  the  tail  bone  and  measure  the  distance  between, 
in  a straight  line.  Never  measure  over  the  curves  of  the  back. 


w.w.mv&.w. 


Fig.  1 — Measurement  of  total  length. 


6 


DIRECTIONS  FOR  PREPARING  SPECIMENS 


(2)  Length  of  tail  from  base  to  end  of  vertebrae.  This  is 
taken  by  bending  the  tail  up  at  right  angles  to  the  back  and 
measuring  from  its  base  (on  the  upper  side)  to  the  end  of  the 
vertebrae  (Fig.  2). 

(3)  Length  of  hind  foot  (held  straight)  from  heel  to  point 
of  hoof  (Fig.  3)  or  longest  claw  (Fig.  4).  In  hoofed  animals 
the  “heel”  is  called  the  hock. 


of  the  shoulder,  the  other  at  the  soles  or  hoofs  of  the  forefeet, 
the  legs  being  straightened  and  held  in  position  natural  to  the 
animal  when  standing  in  life,  with  the  bottoms  of  both  fore- 
feet on  the  same  plane,  and  against  the  stake.  A tape — pref- 
erably a steel  one — should  be  used  for  all  measurements.  The 
weight  of  large  animals  should  be  recorded  whenever  possible. 


Make  a single  straight  slit  down  the  middle  of  the  belly, 
extending  from  the  front  end  of  the  breastbone  to  the  base  of 
the  tail.  In  large  animals  (such  as  deer)  this  cut  should  be 
carried  forward  to  the  throat  and  backward  to  the  tip  of  the 
tail;  and  in  skunks  and  other  fat  animals  the  tail  should  be 
split  on  the  underside.  In  all  large  mammals  four  additional 
cuts  should  be  made,  one  extending  down  each  leg. 

Begin  at  the  foot  (between  the  hoofs  in  the  case  of  a hoofed 
animal;  at  the  base  of  the  toes  in  a clawed  animal)  and  carry 
the  cut  along  the  back  or  inner  side  of  each  foot  and  up  the 


Foot  measurement 
Fig-  2.  0f  hoofed  animals. 

Measuring  tail. 


In  the  case  of 
large  game  ani- 
mals, the  height 
at  shoulder  is  im- 
portant, but  it  is 
difficult  to  take 
accurately.  It  is 
best  measured  be- 
tween pegs,  one 
driven  at  the  top 


Fig.  4. 

Measuring  the  foot. 


THE  OPENING  CUTS. 


OF  MAMMALS,  BIRDS,  FISH,  AND  REPTILES 


7 


hind  side  of  each  leg,  to  join  the  main  cut  (Fig.  5).  If  the 
legs  and  tail  are  not  opened  the  hair  is  likely  to  slip  and  the 
skin  to  rot  instead  of  drying.  In  case  of  all  soft-footed 
mammals,  the  sole  of  the  foot  must  be  slit  open  to  the  toes 

in  order  to  remove  as  much 
flesh  and  fat  as  possible  and 
to  allow  direct  application  of 
the  preservative.  The  cut 
should  be  made  along  the  in- 
ner side  of  footpads. 

REMOVING  THE  SKIN. 

After  making  the  cuts, 
work  the  skin  back  until  the 
“knee”  joint  can  be  pushed  up 
and  un jointed,  leaving  the 
lower  bones  attached  to  the 
foot.  Skin  the  legs  and  feet 
(down  to  the  toes  if  possible) 
and  cut  the  meat  away  from 
the  bones,  leaving  the  leg 
turned  inside  out.  In  small 
mammals  and  those  up  to  the  size  of  a coyote  the  bones  of  the 
lower  part  of  the  legs  should  be  left  attached  to  the  skin;  in 
large  mammals  the  leg  bones  should  be  cut  off  at  the  ankle 
joint.  Work  the  skin  over  the  rump  to  base  of  tail  and  after 
cutting  all  clear  except  the  tail  bone,  make  a short  slit  or  two 
on  the  skin  of  the  underside  to  assist  curing,  and  draw  out 
the  bone.  If  this  can  not  be  done  easily,  use  two  sticks  (or  a 
split  stick)  and  draw  the  bone  through  to  get  it  out  of  the  skin. 
If  this  fails,  slit  the  underside  for  its  entire  length  and  skin 
out  the  tail  bone.  After  skinning  the  legs  and  body,  continue 
working  the  skin  over  the  neck  and  head,  cut  the  cartilage  of 
the  base  of  the  ears  where  it  is  attached  to  the  skull,  and 
skin  over  the  eyes,  nose  and  lips.  Special  care  is  necessary 
in  order  to  avoid  cutting  the  eyelids.  The  skin  is  now  free 
from  the  carcass.  Before  anything  further  is  done,  unjoint 
the  skull,  taking  great  care  not  to  cut  the  bone.  Then  tie  a 
numbered  tag  to  the  skull  so  that  the  skin  to  which  it  belongs 
may  be  certainly  identified. 

When  the  skin  is  off,  clean  it  of  adhering  bits  of  fat  and 
flesh,  and  finish  work  on  the  feet,  making  sure  that  the  skin 
is  separated  from  the  bones  as  far  down  as  possible.  The 
skin  of  the  head  requires  special  attention.  Cut  away  the 
flesh  around  the  cartilage  at  the  base  of  the  ear  and  separate 
the  skin  of  the  back  of  the  ear  from  the  cartilage  nearly  down 


Showing  opening  cuts  for  skinning 
large  mammals. 


8 


DIRECTIONS  FOR  PREPARING  SPECIMENS 


to  the  tip.  This  may  be  done  by  pushing  the  thumb  down 
between  the  skin  and  the  cartilage  and  working  it  loose,  or 
by  using  a blunt  tool  in  the  same  manner.  The  thick  skin  of 
the  nose  and  lips  should  be  pared  down  and  laid  open  until 
it  is  thin  enough  to  allow  the  preservative  to  pass  quickly 
through  to  the  roots  of  the  hair. 

HORNED  ANIMALS. 

Animals  with  horns  require  a T-shaped  cut  on  the  back  of 
the  head  and  neck.  The  cut  should  be  made  from  the  outside. 

First  slit  the  skin  from  one  horn 
to  the  other  and  carry  the  cut 
around  the  base  of  each  horn.  Then, 
from  the  middle  of  the  cross  cut, 
carry  a cut  down  the  middle  line  of 
the  back  of  the  neck  far  enough  to 
let  the  horns  out  (Fig.  6) . In  skin- 
ning animals  with  horns,  skin  as 
far  down  the  neck  as  possible  in  the 
usual  way,  un joint  the  head  (or  cut 
off  the  neck)  and  take  out  the 
body.  Then  turn  the  skin  right 
side  out  and  skin  the  head  and  take 
out  the  skull  (with  horns  attached) 
through  the  slit  in  the  back  of  the 
neck. 

APPLYING  THE  PRESERVATIVE. 

The  main  object  of  the  preservative  in  any  climate  is  to 
set  the  hair  at  once  and  prevent  the  outer  thin  skin,  or  epi- 
dermis, from  slipping  and  taking  hair  with  it.  For  this 
purpose  salt  is  sufficient.  Common  table  salt  is  best,  but 
coarse  salt  may  be  used.  Lay  the  skin  flesh  side  up  and  rub 
salt  into  all  parts  of  it;  put  plenty  behind  the  ear  cartilage, 
about  the  nose  and  feet  and  in  the  tail.  When  the  tail  is  not 
split  open  fill  it  all  the  way  to  the  tip. 

DRYING  THE  SKIN. 

After  the  skin  has  been  salted,  fold  in  the  head  and  legs, 
roll  it  into  a bundle  with  the  hair  side  out,  and  let  it  lie  for 
12  to  24  hours.  The  salt  draws  the  moisture  to  the  surface 
during  this  time,  and  a great  deal  drains  off.  Then  hang  the 
skin  over  a line  or  pole  in  a shady  place  and  allow  it  to  dry 
slowly.  In  winter,  or  in  damp  climates,  after  it  has  dried 
in  the  shade  for  10  or  15  hours  it  may  be  hung  in  the  sun 
and  dried  more  quickly;  but  a skin  not  cured  by  salt  should 


Incisions  for  skinning  out  heads 
of  horned  animals. 


OF  MAMMALS,  BIRDS,  FISH,  AND  REPTILES 


9 


never  be  dried  in  the  sun.  Never  “stretch”  a skin,  and  never 
hang  a large  skin  on  a nail.  When  first  hung  up,  examine 
the  edges  of  the  skin  and  if  any  part  has  not  received  proper 
attention  apply  more  salt.  While  drying,  examine  a few 
times  and  open  out  any  folds  that  may  be  found,  exposing  the 
soft  places  to  the  air. 

PREPARING  THE  SKULL. 

Carefully  un joint  the  skull  from  the  neck  and  cut  away 
the  larger  fleshy  parts,  including  the  tongue,  being  careful 
not  to  cut  or  break  any  of  the  bones.  Scoop  out  the  brains 
with  a stick  or  wire  loop,  and  rinse  out  the  brain  cavity  with 
water,  but  never  cut  or  enlarge  the  natural  opening  in  the 
back  of  the  skull.  Then  hang  up  the  skull  to  dry.  In  dry 
weather  never  leave  a skull  in  the  sun.  Never  boil  a skull  or 
attempt  to  clean  it  thoroughly  while  in  the  field,  but  allow 
the  flesh  that  is  not  easily  cut  off  to  dry  on  the  bone.  If  the 
lower  jaw  has  been  taken  off  in  cleaning,  tie  it  in  place  with 
a strong  cord.  Never  put  salt  or  other  preservative  on  the 
skull.  Salt  or  alum  injures  the  bone. 

LABELING  THE  SKIN  AND  SKULL. 

Tie  a strong  label  to  the  skin.  It  may  be  tied  through  one 
nostril  and  over  the  lip.  On  this  label  record  the  sex  of  the 
specimen,  its  number  and  measurements,  the  date  and  locality, 
and  your  own  name.  A strong  label  bearing  the  same  number 
as  that  on  the  skin,  the  sex  and  the  collector’s  name  should 
be  tied  firmly  to  the  skull.  Use  the  utmost  care  to  avoid 
mistakes  in  labeling  skulls;  that  is,  label  the  skull  as  soon 
as  it  is  skinned , and  be  sure  that  the  number  is  the  same  as 
that  of  the  skin  from  which  it  came.  Extra  skulls  (those  not 
accompanied  by  skins)  should  be  labeled  with  sex,  locality, 
date,  and  collector’s  name. 


CAME  DEPARTMEWT,  OREGON 

Scwrmnc  Name. 

COMfKM  NAMC.... - 

onsfroM  .~Rortla.ncL Aujf^LfyJSjSL. 

k X mi.  s.  “{Porthnd 

r 

<0 

Fig.  7 — Skin  label,  front  and  back,  and  skull  tag.  The  back  of  the  label  should 
contain  the  collector’s  catalogue  number,  with  a line  drawn  just  above  it 
and  measurements  in  millimeters,  in  the  following  order : total  length, 

length  of  tail,  vertebrae,  and  length  of  hind  foot,  as  shown  in  the  figure* 
Any  additional  remarks  concerning  the  specimen  may  be  put  on  the  back 
of  the  label.  ^ 


10 


DIRECTIONS  FOR  PREPARING  SPECIMENS 


PACKING  AND  SHIPPING. 

As  a rule  specimens  should  be  packed  in  boxes  and  shipped 
by  express,  charges  collect.  Skins  may  be  sent  in  small  bales 
covered  with  burlan,  but  are  safer  in  boxes.  They  should 
be  folded  with  the  hair  inside  and  packed  down  tightly.  If 
the  skulls  are  shipped  in  the  same  box  with  skins,  they  should 
be  well  wrapped  and  put  in  a separate  compartment.  Straw, 
paper  or  excelsior  may  be  used  for  packing,  but  not  cotton. 
All  packages,  whether  sent  by  mail  or  express,  should  be 
plainly  marked  with  the  shipper’s  name,  and  should  be 
addressed  to  the  office  of  State  Game  Warden. 


OF  MAMMALS,  BIRDS,  FISH,  AND  REPTILES 


11 


Directions  for  Preparing  Scientific  Specimens 
of  Small  Mammals 

For  making  up  scientific  skins  of  small  mammals,  the 
following  tools  are  necessary:  a sharp  knife  or  scalpel, 

tweezers,  stout,  short  scissors,  steel  tape  for  measuring, 
arsenic  for  preservative,  cotton  for  stuffing  small  specimens, 
tow  or  excelsior  for  larger  ones,  needles  and  thread,  labels  and 
corn  meal. 

All  mammals  up  to  the  size  of  a mink  or  rabbit  should 
be  made  up  as  soon  as  skinned,  or  before  the  skin  is  dried. 


MEASURING. 

Three  measurements  should  be  taken  of  all  specimens 
before  skinning,  the  total  length  from  tip  of  nose  to  end  of 
tail  vertebrae,  not  to  the  end  of  the  hairs ; length  of  tail  verte- 
brae from  end  of  bone  to  rump,  and  length  of  hind  foot  from 
heel  to  end  of  longest  claw.  The  weight  of  specimens  should 
be  taken  whenever  possible. 


SKINNING. 

Place  the  animal  on  its  back  with  the  head  to  your  left, 
make  the  opening  cut  on  the  belly  with  a clean,  straight 
sweep  of  the  scalpel  from  one  to  four  inches  long  in  accord- 
ance with  the  size  of  the  specimen,  catch  the  edge  of  the  skin 
with  the  fingers  and  work  loose  until  the  knee  joint  is  reached, 
cut  the  bone  with  the  scissors  or  disjoint  with  your  knife 
and  pull  the  leg  bone  out,  skinning  down  as  far  as  possible, 
cut  the  flesh  off  the  bone  and  leave  bone  attached  up  to  the 
knee.  Treat  the  other  side  in  the  same  manner.  To  skin  the 
tail,  catch  the  base  of  the  tail  bone  between  the  thumb  and 
forefinger  and  pull  until  the  bone  slips  out,  then  work  the 
skin  up  over  the  back  until  the  fore  legs  are  reached,  treat 
them  the  same  a&  the  hind  ones  and  skin  on  down  over  the 
neck  and  head  until  the  ears  are  reached,  cut  them  off  close 
to  the  bone  and  work  on  until  the  eye  is  reached ; cut  through 
the  transparent  eye  film,  using  care  not  to  cut  the  lid  of  the 
eye;  skin  on  down  to  the  lips  and  sever  the  skin  from  the 
skull.  The  next  step  is  to  disjoint  the  skull  from  the  vertebrae, 
take  out  the  eyes  and  brain,  cut  off  the  fleshy  parts,  taking 
care  not  to  injure  the  bone,  and  label  the  skull  to  correspond 
with  the  number  of  the  skin,  then  it  can  be  hung  up  in  a 
shady  place  to  dry.  Clean  the  flesh  or  fat  from  the  skin, 


12 


DIRECTIONS  FOR  PREPARING  SPECIMENS 


pare  down  the  lips  so  the  preservative  can  reach  the  base  of 
the  hairs;  rub  arsenic  all  over  the  inside  of  the  skin.  Sew 
the  lips  together  and  turn  the  skin  right  side  out. 

STUFFING. 

Make  a compact  body  of  cotton,  tow  or  excelsior,  the  size 
and  shape  of  the  one  removed  from  the  animal,  and  push  it 
well  into  the  skin,  using  care  to  have  the  head  and  nose  well 
filled,  but  not  stretched,  then  push  a tuft  of  cotton  into  the 
legs  to  fill  them  out;  to  make  the  tail  straight,  wrap  fine 
absorbent  cotton  around  a wire  of  suitable  size  and  force  it 
into  the  tail  to  the  tip.  The  next  step  is  to  sew  up  the  opening 
cut  and  brush  the  hairs  out  smooth,  tie  the  label  on  the  right 
hind  leg,  then  pin  the  specimen  on  a soft  board  into  its  natural 
shape,  with  the  soles  down,  before  putting  away  to  dry. 


Fig.  8 — Sample  of  a mammal  skin. 


OF  MAMMALS,  BIRDS,  FISH,  AND  REPTILES 


13 


Directions  for  Making  Bird  Skins 

For  making  up  scientific  bird  skins  only  a few  simple 
tools  and  materials  are  needed — a scalpel  or  slender-bladed 
pocket  knife,  a pair  of  stout,  sharp  scissors,  and  a pair  of 
tweezers,  some  powdered  arsenic  for  preservative  and  corn 
meal  to  absorb  blood  and  other  moisture  while  skinning,  cot- 
ton for  stuffing  small  specimens  up  to  the  size  of  the  quail 
(larger  specimens  should  be  stuffed  with  tow  or  excelsior),  a 
needle  and  thread  for  sewing  up  the  finished  specimen  and 
a supply  of  labels. 

An  English  sparrow,  blue  jay  or  crow  is  the  best  bird  to 
practice  on  until  good  skins  can  be  made. 

Having  shot  a bird,  examine  it  for  blood  stains  and  sprinkle 
any  that  are  found  with  corn  meal  or  fine  dry  earth,  and  plug 
the  mouth  and  nostrils  with  cotton  to  keep  any  blood  or  other 
moisture  from  coming  out  and  soiling  the  feathers.  Then 
make  a paper  cornucopia  and  after  smoothing  out  the  feathers, 
drop  it  in,  bill  first,  then  your  bird  will  carry  safely  in  a 
game  bag  or  hunting  coat. 


SKINNING. 

First  break  each  wing  bone,  close  to  the  body.  Place  the 
bird  on  its  back  with  its  bill  to  the  left,  part  the  feathers 
along  the  breast  and  belly,  hold  the  feathers  back  with  the 


thumb  and  forefinger  and  cut  with  a down  stroke  from  the 
base  of  the  breast  bone  to  the  vent.  Be  careful  to  make  the 
cut  just  through  the  skin  and  not  into  the  abdomen.  Catch 


14 


DIRECTIONS  FOR  PREPARING  SPECIMENS 


the  edge  of  the  skin  and  work  back  until  the  knee  joint  is 
reached,  sprinkle  in  plenty  of  corn  meal  to  absorb  the  blood 


as  you  work  and  to  keep  the  feathers  from  sticking  to  your 
fingers  and  the  bird’s  body.  Cut  the  bone  at  the  knee  joint 


with  scissors  and  draw  it  out  of  the  flesh,  which  can  be  cut 
off,  leave  the  bone  in  the  leg  to  the  knee,  then  work  the 
skin  back  a little  further.  Treat  the  other  side  in  the  same 
manner,  frequently  using  corn  meal.  Then  cut  across  the 

**  ,.b 


Fig.  12 — Leg  bones  (a)  free  from  flesh,  tail  ready  to  be  freed  from  body  at  (b). 


tail  bone  ju^t  above  the  quills,  keeping  the  fingers  on  the 
other  side  as  a guide  so  as  not  to  cut  the  skin;  then  work 


OF  MAMMALS,  BIRDS,  FISH,  AND  REPTILES 


15 


the  skin  up  over  the  rump  and  back,  until  the  wings  are 
reached.  Draw  the  wing  bones  out  and  cut  off  just  below  the 


Fig.  13 — Turning  skin  back  over  body,  wings  ready  to  be  skinned  out. 


second  joint.  Keep  the  body  well  sprinkled  with  meal  and 
work  down  over  the  neck  until  the  ears  are  reached ; pick  them 
out  with  the  tweezers  rather  than  cut  them  off,  then  work 
the  skin  along  with  the  finger  nails  until  the  eyes  appear,  cut 


Fig.  14 — Turning  skin  over  head.  Pull  out  ear  membrane  at  (a).  Disjoint 

wing  at  (b). 


the  transparent  membrane  without  injury  to  the  lids  and 
skin  on  down  to  the  base  of  the  bill. 

Next  remove  the  eyes  and  cut  off  the  base  of  the  skull 
so  the  brain  can  be  taken  out,  clean  the  flesh  off  the  bone 
and  if  any  fat  or  flesh  remains  attached  to  the  skin  remove 
it,  and  then  dust  dry  arsenic  on  the  entire  inside  of  the 
skin,  fill  the  eye  sockets  with  pellets  of  cotton  and  reverse 


16 


DIRECTIONS  FOR  PREPARING  SPECIMENS 


the  skin  by  pushing  the  bill  back  through  the  neck.  If  the 
skin  becomes  dry  before  turning  it,  moisten  with  a little  water 
or  wet  cotton,  but  after  a little  practice  the  whole  process 
of  skinning  requires  only  a few  minutes. 

As  soon  as  the  skin  is  turned  right  side  out,  smooth  the 
feathers  and  adjust  the  eylids  in  place. 


STUFFING. 

For  a sparrow  take  a wad  of  cotton  that  will  make  a body 
the  size  of  the  one  removed  from  the  skin.  To  make  the  neck, 
roll  a piece  of  cotton  firmly  between  the  hands,  then  catch 
the  end  of  it  with  the  forceps  and  push  it  firmly  into  the  neck 
until  the  bill  is  reached,  catch  the  end  at  the  bill  with  the 
fingers  and  draw  out  the  forceps.  Then  tuck  in  all  super- 
fluous cotton  and  draw  the  opening  cuts  together  and  sew 
up  the  skin. 

Be  careful  not  to  stretch  the  skin  and  always  use  a stick 
wrapped  with  cotton  in  making  the  necks  of  birds  larger  than 
a robin.  Leave  each  skin  smooth  and  symmetrical  when  put 
away  to  dry  and  each  feather  in  place. 

LABELING. 

Skins  should  always  be  fully  labeled  with  the  locality,  date, 
sex,  number  and  collector’s  name ; without  this  data  specimens 
are  of  little  scientific  value.  A catalogue  of  all  skins  collected 
should  be  kept,  showing  the  date  of  collection,  locality  where 
bird  was  killed,  sex  of  bird,  notes  on  breeding  habits  and 
food  habits,  as  far  as  can  positively  be  ascertained. 


WRAPPING. 

When  the  specimen  is  stuffed  it  should  be  wrapped  in  a 
thin  film  of  cotton  to  dry,  preferably  absorbent  cotton.  To 
do  this,  take  a piece  of  cotton  of  suitable  size  to  cover  the 
specimen,  lay  it  on  a smooth  surface  and  place  the  bird  on  it 
with  the  bill  inserted  in  one  edge.  Carefully  wrap  the  specimen 
evenly  and  firmly,  overlapping  the  cotton,  using  the  utmost 
care  to  keep  the  plumage  smooth  and  in  place. 

SEXING. 

To  determine  the  sex,  cut  through  the  abdominal  wall,  push 
aside  the  intestines,  and  close  to  the  small  of  the  back  near 
the  kidneys,  if  the  bird  is  a male,  you  will  see  the  two  oval, 


OF  MAMMALS,  BIRDS,  FISH,  AND  REPTILES 


17 


light-colored  testes.  If  the  bird  is  a female,  in  place  of  the 
two  oval  bodies  there  will  be  the  ovaries,  a mass  of  spherical 
ovules,  resembling  a tiny  bunch  of  grapes.  The  male  sign  is 
Mars  ( ) ; the  female,  Venus  ( $ ) . These  signs  should  be 

used  in  the  catalogue  and  on  labels. 


Fig.  15 — A well-made  bird  skin. 


18 


DIRECTIONS  FOR  PREPARING  SPECIMENS 


Directions  for  Preserving  Bird’s  Stomach 

In  collecting  stomachs  of  birds  for  the  Fish  and  Game 
Commission,  the  tags  supplied  by  the  game  department  should 
be  used.  The  tags  should  be  numbered  and  contain  the  initials 
of  the  collector  with  carbon  ink,  and  should  not  be  put  into  the 
preservative  until  the  ink  is  thoroughly  dry.  The  numbers 
should  form  one  continuous  series,  and  should  not  be  repeated 
no  matter  how  many  or  what  kind  of  stomachs  are  preserved. 

The  tags  should  be  tied  to  the  gullet  close  to  the  stomach 
(gizzard)  and  the  loose  ends  of  the  thread  cut  off.  If  the 
crop  contains  food  it  should  be  enclosed  in  a piece  of  cheese 
cloth  with  the  stomach  and  securely  tied  with  strong  thread. 

The  stomachs  should  be  put  in  alcohol  (80  to  85  per  cent) 
or  formaline  (4  or  5 per  cent),  where  they  should  remain  for 
at  least  ten  days,  of  longer,  if  convenient.  A glass  fruit  jar 
is  the  best  to  use  for  the  preservative. 

Data  should  be  kept  of  all  stomachs.  The  essential  points 
are:  name  of  bird , date  of  collection,  hour  when  bird  was 

killed,  and  locality;  without  these  the  stomach  is  useless. 
Other  notes,  such  as  character  of  woods  and  conditions  of 
weather  are  important. 

Before  mailing  the  stomachs,  they  should  be  taken  out  of 
the  preservative  and  partly  dried.  Three  or  four  hours  is 
usually  long  enough  to  dry  them  for  mailing. 

After  drying,  the  stomachs  should  be  wrapped  in  paper 
or  cloth  and  put  in  a can  or  cigar  box,  or  similar  receptacle, 
wrapped  in  strong  paper  and  mailed  to  the  office  of  State 
Game  Warden. 


OF  MAMMALS,  BIRDS,  FISH,  AND  REPTILES 


19 


Collecting  and  Preserving  Eggs 

The  first  step  in  collecting  eggs  is  to  identify  the  nest 
positively,  which  in  case  of  unknown  or  rare  species,  can  only 
be  done  by  shooting  one  or  both  of  the  parent  birds  and 
stuffing  them  for  future  reference.  Eggs  are  ivorse  than 
worthless  if  there  is  any  doubt  as  to  their  identity.  Only 
complete  sets  with  the  nests  should  be  taken  and  notes  should 
be  taken  on  the  position,  structure  and  materials  of  the  nest. 

Each  egg  should  be  wrapped  in  a piece  of  cotton  and  each 
set  kept  separately  in  a box  with  plenty  of  cotton  for  carrying 
home. 

The  only  tools  necessary  for  blowing  eggs  are  a slender 
blow-pipe  and  two  drills. 

For  drilling,  hold  the  egg  between  the  thumb  and  two 
fingers  of  the  left  hand,  place  the  sharp  point  of  the  drill 
against  the  side,  twirl  it  evenly  with  slight  pressure  until  it 
sinks  into  the  shell,  grinding  out  a small  round  hole,  for  a 
fresh  egg  the  size  of  a pin  head,  while  for  an  incubated  one 
the  hole  may  be  an  eighth  of  an  inch  in  diameter.  A fine 
stream  of  air  should  be  forced  into  the  opening  without  the 
blow-pipe  touching  the  shell,  and  the  contents  will  be  forced 
out.  Then  fill  your  mouth  with  water  and  blow  into  the 
empty  shell  to  rinse  it  out  thoroughly,  afterwards  blowing 
out  the  water  before  laying  away  to  dry. 

Each  set  of  eggs  and  nest  should  be  kept  in  a separate 
box  with  a label  showing  the  name,  collector,  locality,  date  of 
collection,  number  of  eggs  in  set,  how  identified,  and  state 
of  incubation,  or  whether  fresh,  slightly  incubated  or  incuba- 
tion advanced.  Without  this  data  eggs  are  useless. 


20 


3 0112  106068015 

DIRECTIONS  FOR  PREPARING  SFECJLMUJNfc 


Preserving  Fish  and  Reptiles 

To  properly  preserve  fish  or  reptiles  use  the  same  preserva-  * 
tive  as  given  for  birds’  stomachs,  viz. : alcohol  (85  per  cent) 
or  formaline  (4  or  5 per  cent) . 

Label  the  specimen  with  the  date  and  locality,  using  India  l 
ink,  and  cut  several  short  gashes  in  the  abdominal  wall  so  the 
preservative  can  work  through  the  carcass.  Specimens  of, 
fish  or  reptiles  should  not  be  removed  from  the  preservative! 
for  shipping,  but  left  in  the  jars  permanently. 


